Pedro, Prince Imperial of Brazil

What people wore

Everyday clothing for children and workers

Children often went completely naked in their early years, while enslaved women working in fields or as laborers frequently wore only a simple shirt. In some urban settings, young girls began wearing skirts around age 6 to 11, with differences in style reflecting social status.

Daily life

Eating Without Cutlery

Meals were often eaten without cutlery, using hands to shape manioc flour into balls, known as pirão, which were dipped into broth and meat.

Music

Common instruments in 19th-century homes

In the early 19th century, the viola and guitar were the most popular instruments for accompanying songs at home, while the piano only became more common in wealthy households from the 1830s onwards.

At the table

Pork as the primary protein source

Pork was the most consumed protein across all social classes, and butchers in Rio de Janeiro were supplied twice daily, early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

Getting around

Cadeirinhas used for short city trips

For short distances, affluent families frequently used a small, enclosed litter called a cadeirinha, carried by enslaved people in liveries.